Sunday, July 8, 2012

Frozen Melon Magic

Yesterday I asked my husband Dicky,
master of the understatement, what it was like outside. “Warmish,” was his
answer, which to me meant that people were probably fainting from heatstroke
right out there on the street, with dogs whimpering

because their little paws
were being scorched by sidewalks hot enough to fry eggs on. Today in New York
City it’s supposed to get over 100°F, but we’re lucky compared to those in St.
Louis, where it’s been somewhere in the neighborhood of 108°F for a week. I

had been planning to make little fruit pies today, but owing to the alarming weather, I cancelled those plans real
fast and opted for a much cooler treat: frozen melon pops. My melons of choice here
are watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew, and the recipe is as simple

as it is
refreshing. The basic proportions are 2 cups of melon puree combined with 2/3
cup to ¾ cup simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil and
cooled). For the watermelon pops I added a little lime juice and a good pinch
of salt. For the cantaloupe

pops I infused the syrup with a handful of fresh
mint leaves, while the honeydew pops I spiced up with a good amount of finely
grated fresh ginger. You can puree the melon in either a food processor or
blender, and you can even buy pre-cut fruit in the supermarket

instead of
dealing with whole melons. But it’s nice to have some fresh chilled melon on
hand when it’s as hot as this, and it’s a healthier alternative to fat-laden
ice cream. Keep cool, my friends (especially you St. Louisans), autumn is right around the corner!

Frozen Melon Pops

Simple Syrup:

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

1 cup (236 g) water

Combine sugar and water in a small
saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until
sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and cool completely.
Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 weeks.

Watermelon Pops (makes 7):

2 cups (480 g) watermelon puree

2/3 cup (180 g) Simple Syrup

2 tablespoons (30 g) lime juice

Good pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients and pour into
3-oz popsicle molds. Freeze until firm, at least 5 hours.

Cantaloupe-Mint Pops (makes 7):

¾ cup (204 g) Simple Syrup

¼ cup firmly packed mint leaves

2 cups (500 g) cantaloupe puree

2 tablespoons (30 g) lemon juice

1. Combine the hot syrup with the mint
leaves and allow to infuse, covered, for 20 minutes.

2. Strain the syrup and combine with the
remaining ingredients. Pour into 3-oz popsicle molds and freeze until firm, at
least 5 hours.

Honeydew-Ginger Pops (makes 7):

2 cups (480 g) honeydew melon puree

¾ cup (204 g) Simple Syrup

1 ½ tablespoons finely grated gingerroot

Combine all ingredients and pour into
3-oz popsicle molds. Freeze until firm, at least 5 hours.

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Tish Boyle

About Me

Hi! I'm Tish Boyle, and I'm a cookbook author and editor specializing in desserts. I'm currently the co-editor of Dessert Professional magazine, a trade magazine for the baking and pastry industries. I'm the former editor of Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines, and a graduate of Smith College and La Varenne École de Cuisine in Paris. I've worked in lots of positions in the food biz, including hostess at the coffee shop at The Playboy Club (where, among other things, I blew up bunny balloons); cook on a barge traveling the canals of Burgundy and Bordeaux; a caterer, pastry chef, and food stylist for advertising. I was also an associate editor at Good Housekeeping magazine and a freelance recipe developer for several food companies and magazines. I'm the author of Diner Desserts (Chronicle Books, 2000), The Good Cookie (John Wiley & Sons, 2002), The Cake Book (John Wiley & Sons, 2006) and Flavorful: 150 Irresistible Desserts in All-Time Favorite Flavors (HMH, 2015). I live and bake in Palm City, Florida (where it's almost always HOT) with my husband and two charming cats, Teddy and Freddy. Visit my Web site at www.tishboyle.com.